1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to the field of roofing materials, and in particular, to interlocking decorative roofing panels.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Spanish tile is a common roofing material in many parts of the country. While this type of roofing material is highly durable, it suffers the disadvantages of (i) relatively high weight, (ii) high cost of installation, as a substantial amount of hand labor is required to properly lay the tile to form a water-tight roof, and (iii) the high cost of the tiles. Another popular roofing material is wood shake or shingles which also have the disadvantages of relatively high labor and material costs. Due to the disadvantages of these common roofing materials, attempts have been made to substitute for the conventional materials roofing panels which simulate the appearance of these materials, and yet are substantially lighter in weight and less expensive to manufacture and install. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,485,002 discloses a roofing panel simulating the appearance of Spanish tile. However, while the disclosed tile structures are highly satisfactory for installations which require only a single course of panels, no provision is made for interlocking adjacent panels to prevent entrance of moisture and to maintain a realistic appearance by minimizing discontinuities between tile courses. To the applicant's knowledge, no roofing panel simulating conventional roofing material such as tile is available which combines the advantages of low cost, attractive appearance and the requisite water shedding capabilities required by the outdoor application for large area coverage.